Series/Themes: Art

Film Year: 2014

Locations: USA

Film Length: 89 min.

Director: Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker

Featuring: Mark Landis, Matthew Leininger

One of the most prolific art forgers in U.S. history, Mark Landis has duped the art world for thirty years, covering a wide range of painting styles and periods that includes 15th Century Icons, Picasso, and even Walt Disney. However, tenacious registrar Matthew Leininger ultimately discovered the decades-long ruse and set out to expose Landis’ philanthropic escapades to the art world, forcing him to confront his own legacy and a mental illness that blurs the lines between conning and philanthropy. Art and Craft starts out as a cat-and-mouse art caper, rooted in questions of authorship and authenticity – but what emerges is an intimate story of obsession and the universal need for community, appreciation, and purpose.  Discussion with Bruce Boucher and Lawrence Goedde (both U.Va.)

Supported by The Fralin Museum of Art